What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 147

#147 The Greatest Show on Earth! (6)

News arrived that the third auction item was brought on stage. It was time.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, Vice Commander.”

The Imperial Guards obeyed Elisabeth’s signal.

She carefully scanned the upper lobby, crowded with servants and attendants from noble families.

And finally, she checked on Joan d’Arc, who stood behind her.

The would-be robber who attacked the prince’s carriage procession, and the most famous ghost painter in the Empire, looked uncharacteristically tense.

The viscount warned,

“You better do this right. This is the opportunity the Marquis has given you.”

“Opportunity, my foot. He’s trying to finish me and my brother off at once… I know, I know. Don’t look at me like that.”

‘I came here to get some satisfaction too,’ Joan grumbled.

She was clutching a roll of paper, almost as big as herself, in her arms.

Elisabeth rechecked the formation and then strode forward.

As the Imperial Guards advanced, those standing on the stairs hastily stepped aside and bowed.

The group quickly passed through the lobby and reached the entrance of the auction house. Just then,

“Viscountess, I am sorry, but Joan is not allowed to enter.”

Someone hurriedly approached and blocked their entry.

It was an elderly man in elegant and clean attire.

He seemed to be Emil de As’s right-hand man or secretary.

He blocked the group’s advance, as if determined to stop them.

Following him, the terrified employees of the trading company swarmed in and blocked the door.

Elisabeth’s gray eyes narrowed sharply.

“Are you daring to obstruct the official duties of the Imperial Guards?”

“How could I harbor such disloyal thoughts? However, Joan has a covenant with the head of the trading company. She signed an agreement not to enter the As Trading Company until her death and gave up her inheritance. Entering here is a violation of that promise and disrupts the order of the family.”

“Ha.”

The viscount let out a hollow laugh.

She was well aware of the As Trading Company head’s eccentric behavior, but she never imagined that even those around him would be trapped in such ridiculous thinking.

To have the audacity to interfere with Imperial affairs under the pretext of family matters showed they were completely out of touch with reality.

It was as if As thought he was a feudal lord in the city.

As if everything would be over if they couldn’t protect him.

“Stop the nonsense and step aside. We are acting as the second sword of His Majesty.”

“Gilbert, move it unless you want to get arrested. This noble lady really pulls out her sword!”

Joan shouted. The old man silently bowed his head but did not move.

Elisabeth gestured with a coldly hardened face.

-Clang!

“Agh!”

As the Imperial Guards drew their swords, those who had been holding their breath and watching them cried out in fear.

Joan bit her lip in anxiety. Everything felt like it was heading for disaster.

She definitely needed one more earcuff.

She was not someone who could freely enter the trading company on her own two feet.

It was then.

“Everyone, step back! What are you doing? Get your heads straight and get back to work!”

A woman’s thick voice rang out.

Elisabeth and Joan simultaneously looked in that direction.

A trading company employee, smelling strongly of the sea, was running towards them.

Her colleagues followed behind her. They were all large, as if they did physical labor.

They roughly pushed and chased away the elderly man and those who were trembling at the door.

“What kind of safety is this to stand and block the way! Get lost!”

“Lise, aren’t you in charge of transporting auction items! You used to follow the Trading Company Head’s orders to the letter, why…”

“His Imperial Majesty is a thousand, ten thousand times higher than the Trading Company Head!”

“……”

Elisabeth frowned and observed them. In short, it seemed like an internal conflict had occurred.

The one called ‘Lise’ and her friends used overwhelming force to clear the employees in front and bowed to the Imperial Guards.

The viscount clicked her tongue and kicked the auction house door open with a bang!

“Good heavens!”

Exclamations of shock erupted from inside. One of the Imperial Guards nudged Joan from behind.

She stepped into the auction house and whispered to Lise.

“Lise, you’re still sane. Good job.”

“I didn’t do it because I’m sane. I’m scared to death.”

She replied, gritting her teeth. Her clenched fist was visibly trembling.

“But the Trading Company Head severely insulted a member of the royal family who is also a priest. And you…”

Lise stared straight at Joan.

Her eyes, hardened from working hard in the trading company, were filled with tears.

“You paid off my godmother’s care debt. I hear the local news.”

“……”

She gestured towards Joan’s hood.

Joan, speechless, stared blankly at Lise.

Suddenly, the Marquis’s voice, smiling as he looked at her hair, came to mind.

‘It’s wonderful. It seems like it will be popular in the capital.’

“Move quickly!”

A member of the Imperial Guard, unable to watch any longer, urged her on.

Joan rushed inside without even saying goodbye to Lise.

The paintings in her arms, something in her heart, seemed to be clamoring to be released.

She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

The noble lady was right. This might be an opportunity.

All day long with that face, but Emil, who revealed Hader O. Jansen’s new work , looked truly happy.

Kristel created ice in her mouth and rolled it around.

If she didn’t restrain herself like this, she might turn that guy into an icicle skewer on the spot.

“It is an honor to unveil such a sacred work during Holy Week. is a masterpiece that densely depicts the creation and power of the continent by the Main God. Jansen devoted 30 years to the conception and 5 years to the sketches…”

As was spewing nonsense with a straight face. Kristel exhaled a sigh.

Your sister, who drew that, isn’t even thirty, and you’re saying 30 years just for the conception, you jerk.

“Isn’t this also insulting the royal family? He lied right in front of Your Highness.”

She leaned towards the Crown Prince and whispered. He nodded slightly in agreement.

Kristel crunched the ice and counted in her head.

In 10 seconds, she hoped that Lady Elisabeth and Joan would come crashing in and make a mess of this place.

10, 9, 8, 7…

-Bang!

“Good heavens!”

The door flew off, someone cried out in surprise, and Kristel and Cedric simultaneously unfolded their crossed legs.

To match the lucky number 7, Lady Elisabeth really knew what she was doing.

Emil on stage hardened his expression. Kristel snickered.

“What is this, Vice Commander? What is going on?”

“Emil de As, a report has come in that the artwork by Hader O. Jansen that you traded here is a fraud.”

“Heavens.”

Elisabeth’s declaration caused the venue to bubble like boiling water.

The opponent was none other than the Imperial Vice Commander.

Kristel scanned the faces in the audience.

Those from the capital were the first to grasp the seriousness and fluttered their fans.

It was the unique anticipation of nobles who had a huge gossip in front of them.

Even the Duke and Duchess, who always maintained their dignity, looked surprised.

“That’s absurd. Even if there was such a report, to determine right and wrong in this way…”

“Emil, stop acting like a noble!”

The auction house went silent at the sharp cry.

With irregular footsteps, Joan appeared.

Emil’s lemon-colored eyes sharpened.

“…Sister, I remember you promised not to approach the trading company.”

“That was when I was tolerating your nonsense. I can’t stand your prince disease anymore. I’m sick of deceiving others too.”

“I can’t stand it anymore either. Gilbert! Lise! Take my sister out.”

“I didn’t think you were so slow to assess the situation.”

Elisabeth said firmly.

At the same time, Lise and her trading company colleagues came in and stood blocking the doorway.

It was an action that seemed to prevent someone from escaping. Emil frowned.

“What are you doing now…”

“Listen carefully, esteemed guests! You have all been deceived by my brother. Hader O. Jansen does not exist. Well, he does, but…”

Joan, who had been booming, stopped speaking for a moment. Everyone’s eyes were on her.

“That’s me. I’m not from the Holy Nation, nor am I a noble, and I lied about my gender and age. He added stories to the pseudonym I created!”

“Heavens!”

The guests collectively gasped.

“Sister, stop making up lies that tarnish my reputation!”

“Lies? Is that why the Marquis bothered to get me out of prison? To come here and commit fraud?”

Joan retorted. Then she walked confidently down the aisle towards the stage.

The room was once again greatly agitated.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say that the Trading Company Head’s sister attacked the Marquis’s carriage?’, ‘We’re seeing a more valuable sight than the auction.’

Waves of whispers flowed to Kristel and the Crown Prince, and the Duke and Duchess’s seats.

Isabelle urgently asked her daughter in the next seat.

“Kristel, did you know?”

“Yes. This was our plan.”

She smiled and stood up from her seat. Duke Sarnese rarely looked flustered and covered his mouth.

“Excuse me, but Marquis Serenite has enough reason to slander me. He also suffered a harsh ordeal on stage a little while ago…”

“Hey, shut up.”

Emil stopped speaking abruptly. It was because the response came from an unexpected place.

He creaked and looked down at the audience.

Sharp blue-gray eyes were surging with anger and disgust.

A voice he had never heard before flowed out.

“Are you underestimating the Marquis? Do you want to die? The Marquis doesn’t care about you. He hasn’t been interested all along. You were the one playing the drum and the *janggu* [Korean double-headed drum] alone, and now you’re facing the backlash.”

“…Lady Kristel?”

“Everyone, tell your servants to bring out paper and quills! Write Hader O. Jansen and Joan d’Arc’s spellings side by side and compare them. It’s just the order that’s changed.”

Kristel said loudly. The nobles participated very actively.

Meanwhile, Joan had reached the stairs in front of the stage.

Emil came down the steps with a face as hard as iron.

He was about to drag his sibling away. At that moment,

-Clang!

“Oh my God!”

“Ah!”

The black sword was drawn and aimed at the Trading Company Head’s neck.

Some people couldn’t withstand the pressure of the 8th-level swordsman and fainted.

The Crown Prince had risen like wildfire.

“I will personally confirm it with my own eyes.”

Cedric growled like a beast. His orange gaze shone as if to burn the opponent to death.

“Hick… Your Highness…”

“So keep your three-inch tongue to yourself.”

A long crack formed on the skin where the blade had penetrated, and soon hot drops of blood formed.

-Sizzle…

“Ah, augh!”
A terrible sound of the holy sword searing the skin was heard. Emil screamed and knelt down.

Joan passed him, who was in pain, and went up on stage.

Her toes, bathed in bright light, trembled, but she stubbornly raised her head and looked straight ahead.

The audience was so dark that no one’s eyes could be seen clearly.

Perhaps that was why she felt more courageous.

“This… These are the sketches and underdrawings I’ve drawn so far. Some of them were used as firewood in the winter and are gone. The rest should be under the bed or in the corner of the drawer, but the Imperial Guards couldn’t find them all. Anyway…”

“Wow!”

Admiration and shock followed one another.

Most of the nobles present here were well-versed in painting and were fans of Jansen.

Therefore, they could easily infer the finished work just by looking at her rough lines or pen strokes.

Joan continued in a nervous voice.

“And this is the *esquisse* [preliminary sketch] of . I don’t know what Emil said, but it only took 15 minutes to copy this, so keep that in mind. I guess I spent about a week on the conception.”

“Unbelievable!”

“A genius is a genius.”

The nobles buzzed as if they were about to explode.

They gave Joan an admiring look, then gave Emil a contemptuous look.

Just ten minutes ago, the siblings’ situation was the exact opposite of what it was now.

Emil’s face flushed red and blue with shame and anger.

“It’s a lie! Crown Prince, my sister is plotting to ruin my reputation. She’s trying to regain her status as heir in this way, belatedly…”

-Swish!

A tremendous amount of ‘something’ poured over Emil’s head.

He struggled and collapsed without even being able to breathe properly.

The Crown Prince quickly stepped back and drew his sword in the air.

Kristel widened her eyes and watched the things flopping at her feet.